Contribute to your legacy
Violence in Kenya provides extra reason to donate
By: Editorial Board
Issue date: 1/11/08 Section: Opinion
When UNC senior class officers took a philanthropic turn and decided to focus the 2008 senior campaign on fixing the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, they never guessed that political uprisings would put a kink in their plans.
Carolina for Kibera, an organization that works to promote youth leadership and ethnic and gender cooperation in Nairobi, is the hub of this year's senior campaign.
But with the organization's operations temporarily ceased because of recent post-election violence in Kenya, seniors might be unsure of what to do with their money.
However, seniors should remember that CFK is not completely defunct, just temporarily halted, and will surely need money more than ever to help rebuild and restore the war-torn area once violence subsides.
With the ability to donate to many different causes, only seven of the 71 seniors who have donated so far have earmarked their gift for CFK.
But that number is actually higher than last year's numbers, when only 46 seniors contributed first semester, Senior Class President Ashley Shores told The Daily Tar Heel.
Despite the moderate success in getting early donations, the violence in Kenya still puts a slight hitch in the senior class officers' plans, making their job a bit more difficult this semester.
Donations to the senior campaign or gift traditionally have increased closer to the end of the year, when students are thinking about graduation.
But because of the problems CFK is facing, that trend might not have the same intensity. It will be up to the senior class officers to push the senior campaign even harder, ensuring that seniors know that they can still donate to CFK.
At a first glance, rampant violence in an area would certainly make a donor think twice before sending money to help with aid efforts.
But with the right publicity, the senior class officers can work this to their advantage.
After the fighting ends, CFK will be able to resume its operations.
CFK will need donations from the senior campaign to help combat the adverse effects of the post-election violence.
The senior class officers were already planning on promoting the campaign more during the spring semester. Now they just need to persuade seniors that the violence in Kenya provides more of a reason to give, not the opposite.
Once the violence subsides in Nairobi, the donation made from the senior class fund will go toward helping clinics in Kibera and sending UNC volunteers directly to the Kenyan slums. The class of 2008 officers are encouraging students to continue donating, promising that their money can still be put to use.
The temporary roadblock in Kenya should by no means prevent seniors from donating to CFK; they should take the aggression and difficulty there as a sign that the organization needs help now more than ever.
Carolina for Kibera, an organization that works to promote youth leadership and ethnic and gender cooperation in Nairobi, is the hub of this year's senior campaign.
But with the organization's operations temporarily ceased because of recent post-election violence in Kenya, seniors might be unsure of what to do with their money.
However, seniors should remember that CFK is not completely defunct, just temporarily halted, and will surely need money more than ever to help rebuild and restore the war-torn area once violence subsides.
With the ability to donate to many different causes, only seven of the 71 seniors who have donated so far have earmarked their gift for CFK.
But that number is actually higher than last year's numbers, when only 46 seniors contributed first semester, Senior Class President Ashley Shores told The Daily Tar Heel.
Despite the moderate success in getting early donations, the violence in Kenya still puts a slight hitch in the senior class officers' plans, making their job a bit more difficult this semester.
Donations to the senior campaign or gift traditionally have increased closer to the end of the year, when students are thinking about graduation.
But because of the problems CFK is facing, that trend might not have the same intensity. It will be up to the senior class officers to push the senior campaign even harder, ensuring that seniors know that they can still donate to CFK.
At a first glance, rampant violence in an area would certainly make a donor think twice before sending money to help with aid efforts.
But with the right publicity, the senior class officers can work this to their advantage.
After the fighting ends, CFK will be able to resume its operations.
CFK will need donations from the senior campaign to help combat the adverse effects of the post-election violence.
The senior class officers were already planning on promoting the campaign more during the spring semester. Now they just need to persuade seniors that the violence in Kenya provides more of a reason to give, not the opposite.
Once the violence subsides in Nairobi, the donation made from the senior class fund will go toward helping clinics in Kibera and sending UNC volunteers directly to the Kenyan slums. The class of 2008 officers are encouraging students to continue donating, promising that their money can still be put to use.
The temporary roadblock in Kenya should by no means prevent seniors from donating to CFK; they should take the aggression and difficulty there as a sign that the organization needs help now more than ever.
Be the first to comment on this story